Engage your students with real-life survival stories while building collaboration, critical thinking, and SEL skills! This resource is the perfect hook for novels like Hatchet, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Into the Wild, Into Thin Air, Touching Spirit Bear, or even The Giver. It also pairs perfectly with short stories like To Build a Fire—or can stand alone as a high-interest lesson on survival. Students begin with a compelling informational text about true survival accounts, then work in small groups to tackle a survival challenge that encourages teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.

Why Teachers Love It

• Builds SEL skills like collaboration, empathy, and responsible decision-making
• Encourages teamwork and leadership through a hands-on survival scenario
• Makes meaningful text-to-world connections with survival novels and stories
• Flexible: works as a pre-reading hook, center activity, or standalone lesson
• Answer Key included where applicable for easy grading

What’s Included

• 1 Informational Text Article: Real Survival Stories
• 1 Small Group Survival Activity: collaborative survival challenge with discussion prompts
• Answer Key (where applicable)
• Formats: Printable PDF + Digital

Why It Works
Students are fascinated by survival stories—and when paired with a group challenge, the lesson becomes both engaging and transformative. This activity not only deepens comprehension but also promotes teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills that extend beyond the classroom.